By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Simon Kenton goalkeeper Makenna Doherty had a busy night guarding the net during her team’s 2-0 win over Notre Dame in girls high school soccer on Wednesday.
There were at least a dozen shots on goal the freshman had to handle, but she was able to post a shutout with the help of her teammates and the Pioneers came away with their first-ever victory over the Pandas.
“We worked really well together,” Doherty said of her team’s defensive effort. “That’s so important because they’re the ones who help me protect the goal.”
The Pioneers remained undefeated with their fourth shutout that pushed their record to 9-0-1. It was also the 100th career win for head coach Hillary Johnson, who has a 50-20-10 record in four seasons at Simon Kenton.
Johnson was much happier with Wednesday’s outcome than she was last year when Notre Dame rolled to a 5-0 win.
The Pandas (4-3-2) were able to move the ball effectively once again, but they came up empty on every scoring opportunity this time.
“They stayed stable, they stayed organized, they communicated” Johnson said of the six seniors and seven freshmen she used in the match. “That was a big problem for us last year, our communication, and they have worked on that so much this season.”
Simon Kenton took a 1-0 lead less than four minutes after the opening kickoff. That’s when senior striker Meg Gadzala ripped a shot past Notre Dame senior goalkeeper Joelle Hentz. The Pioneers’ next scoring attempt came at the 15-minute mark, but Hentz made a diving catch on that one.
Notre Dame dominated time of possession for the remainder of the first half and had an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal at the break.
“It’s huge, but it also can be scary at times,” coach Johnson said of taking the early lead. “Any team that gets scored on, they bring it back at you 10 fold. So for us to keep our composure and just keep fighting, I was just really proud of our team.”
Notre Dame got a shot on goal in the opening minutes of the second half and continued mounting attacks with good passing and teamwork, but the Pandas weren’t able put a ball into the net.
Simon Kenton’s second goal came with 14 minutes left in the game. Gadzala moved the ball down the sideline and crossed it in front of the goal.
The ball bounced off a player or two and came out to freshman Aniah Zembrodt, who chipped it into the net for a 2-0 lead.
The Pioneers pulled players back on defense to protect the lead, but Notre Dame still managed to get shots on goal. With eight minutes remaining, Doherty came charging off the line and made a diving save on a loose ball just before a Notre Dame player got to it to seal the shutout.
“We’re doing the things that we need to do to get scoring opportunities,” said Notre Dame coach Cory Dan. “We just need to take care of those when we get chances.”
Breaking their team’s losing streak against Notre Dame is quite an accomplishment for the Pioneers. They’ve also got their hearts set on winning the 8th Region championship for the first time since 2020 and playing in the state tournament.
“Everything we’re working for is state, that’s where we want to be at the end of the season,” Gadzala said. “We want to go farther than this. We don’t want our biggest win to be against Notre Dame.”